45 BABY REGISTRY MUST HAVES

After having my 2nd baby, I thought it’d be a good time to update my Baby Must Haves. This isn’t a list I created based on items that I have heard of or that look nice. We literally own and use basically every item on this list. These are true baby must haves! This list could also be called 45 Newborn Must Haves, as they mostly refer to things you’ll want with a brand new baby!

You’ll notice that a lot of these registry must haves can be found on Amazon– my favorite place to create a baby registry! It has everything you need, is so easy and fun to create your registry and add or remove items as you wish and BONUS: you get up to 15% discount when you buy any of the items on your registry! Also, they offer very easy 90 day returns on registry items, which comes in very handy. See my entire post about the benefits of an Amazon registry here. These are the best Amazon baby registry items!

Just a head’s up: this is a very comprehensive list of baby must haves. This is basically everything you need for a baby, according to me.

Baby Registry Must Haves

Our top must have baby items continued…

S L E E P

Bassinet – I love having Baby right next to our bed. This makes that possible, plus it’s simple and cute. Read my full review here!

Dock-A-Tot – Okay, this thing is one of my HOLY GRAILS of baby sleep. I swear by it! Baby girl has slept so well since we got it when she was about 1 month old, and I highly recommend it! Sleep is priceless.

Mamaroo, which mimics being in Mama’s arms, and has lots of settings for different rocking as well as white noise sounds.

Bouncer – This Fisher-Price bouncer is modestly priced and very durable. It also fits a wide range of baby sizes!

Newborn lounger – So when we first saw this, we totally thought it was useless. WRONG. We surprised ourselves at how often we used it! When you have an infant (aka a potato) who does not roll or move on his/her own, this lounger is AMAZING.

Sleep sack – A sleep sack is a must! Babies love that safety and security of the womb, which is why swaddling is so great. This sleep sack carries on that same idea for when swaddling is no more.

White noise – Sleep will come easier with it and that’s priceless. It’s almost like magic. Almost. This chargeable, portable one will do the trick!

Video monitor – For our 2nd baby, we just got this IP camera and synced it up with our phones. It does just as well as the Motorola but does require wifi and a smartphone. If you’ve got that, you have a high-quality video monitor for $60!

Owlet baby monitor – This thing is so great! As a parent of a newborn, you can get very paranoid, am I right?! This takes away that paranoia and replaces it with peace of mind, as it tracks your baby’s heart rate and oxygen levels and alerts you if something isn’t right. It just connects to your cell phone and you put the little sock on your baby’s foot when they sleep! So simple, and such a priceless thing to have if you ask me!

Must Have Baby Items Continued…

Nursing cover – It’s all personal preference, but I like to have something to cover me a bit while nursing in public.

Bottles – We tried a few different kinds, and the Avent are the ones that Sam took to the best. Each baby is different, but these are his favorite! To go along with bottles, a bottle warmer is AMAZING. We used it so much. Makes for quick and even heating. With Sophie, we’ve been using these Chicco bottles– the natural nipple that curves is AMAZING!

High chair – We were lucky enough to receive the Stokke Steps, which is an amazing high chair set, but suuuuper pricey. I love the bouncer feature, as we could have Baby with us at the table from infancy. :) For a similar look but way lower price point, I love this one or the Ikea high chair- it’s only $20!

Bibs – Because babies are messy. Especially when they’re first learning to eat. Love this one too.

Continue reading for even more baby registry must haves!

T R A V E L

Infant car seat – We didn’t get this the first time around and just got a convertible car seat right off the bat. This time we got a Maxi Cosi infant car seat, and in my opinion it is a GAME CHANGER! It’s so great for getting around town and for easy car to house transfers, especially while Baby is sleeping! If only we had it with our first. Hindsight, guys. Always 20/20. Oh, and this one by Britax is also a great infant car seat option.

Ergobaby carrier – I’ve tried quite a few carriers and this one is my favorite. It’s sturdy, comfortable and keeps baby close- right where they should be. :) Don’t forget the infant insert!

Baby wrap – I also love a good lightweight wrap. This one takes the cake for me, as it’s breathable, soft, folds up really small and doubles as a nursing cover! I also love the Solly wrap!

Stroller – If you just have one baby, I highly recommend the (splurge) Quinny Moodd. It is our faaaaavorite. We also have the Baby Jogger City Select, since we needed a double stroller. I love all of the different seat positions, love that they’re close to each other and I just haven’t heard a bad thing about it! If you’re not looking to spend several hundred dollars, this Graco stroller is cute and has very high reviews on Amazon! And for a lightweight, umbrella type option, the Quinny Yezz is our favorite.

Pack n Play – If you’re traveling, this is a must. We’ll also bring this with us if we’re staying at a family member’s house during naptime. Packs up easily and Baby sleeps just fine in it.

N E C E S S I T I E S These are truly baby registry must haves!

Swaddle blankets – Aden + Anais are our favorites. So soft, nice and big, ideal for not only swaddling but also as a light blanket, stroller cover, nursing cover, car shade, literally everything. Plus, the designs are so cute!

Pacifiers – Sam never really took to pacis, but for the little while that he did use them, they were a godsend. At the hospital, the nurses scared me so much about “nipple confusion” (there is some truth to it, but honestly, I don’t buy it, by the way) but then my aunt (a pediatric ICU nurse) snuck me some with a wink. Bless her.

Sophie the giraffe teether – Sophieeeee. This thing. Both kids LOVED this! Yes she’s pricey but you will get your moneys worth. Promise.

Infant bath tub – We have this one and love it- we actually still use it for Sam! It has a removable infant insert, which is great. Fits perfectly in the bath tub, too. I love this puj tub, too, as it can fold up into nothing and hang on the back of your door. For tiny bathrooms (like ours!) this is ideal!

Burp cloths – Definitely need. In the newborn days, we did this thing that Zack referred to as the “burp cloth sprinkle.” Burp cloths. Everywhere. Because you just never know. Ha! Any old burp cloth will do, but I’ve heard that cloth diapers work best, so that’s what we’re doing this time around. Can also be used as wash cloths! Double whammy!

Body Wash/ Shampoo / Lotion – One of my favorite times of the day is putting on lotion after Sam is freshly bathed. That soft clean baby skin is comparable to nothing in this world. And he’s ticklish, so he always giggles when I put lotion on him and it’s the best thing ever. We love Mustela and Burt’s Bees a lot!

Rubber ducky – You’re the one. You make bath time so much fun! Rubber ducky I’m awfully fond of you.

C L O T H E S

Basic onesies – Because blowouts are a constant, one can never have too many onesies. Don’t get attached. You’ll be throwing some away.

Mittens – Sam scratched his face a lot when he was a newborn. Mittens to the rescue!

Socks – These are a must to keep those little baby tootsies nice and cozy warm!

Footed Jammies – As much as I love the little snaps or buttons, I recommend the kind with zippers to save you some frustration during those late night diaper changes.

Baby moccs – Totally unnecessary but totally adorable. Sam has accumulated quite the collection that we’ll be passing down to the next babe!

T O Y S

Skip Hop activity gym – Babies looooove these little play mat things. Sam would lie under this and play with the little animals all the time. Definitely a must-have! We found ours on clearance at Target for 1/3 of the price, so look around!

Teething toys – Just get a bunch of these, because they are invaluable. The Nuby keys are cute and Sam loves them! Pro tip: throw all your teethers in the freezer and have them ready for when Baby needs them.

Baby Einstein musical toy – This thing literally entertains a baby for hours. Okay, maybe not that long, but seriously. It’s amazing. Bring it in the car and the crying ceases.

Rattle – Obviously. It’s a baby. This is too classic of a toy not to have.

Stuffed animal – Sam has a super soft bunny just like this, and it is the sweetest.

And inevitably, your baby’s favorite “toys” will be anything that is not really meant to be a toy, i.e. pots and pans and boxes and remotes, so don’t sweat the toy stuff too much.

What are your baby registry must haves?

A little note about Amazon’s registry. I love using Amazon for my baby registry. It’s so easy and you can basically add anything in existence to your registry. Also, the 15% completion discount is enough to create a registry right there! I mean, 15% off diapers and wipes? Yes please! You can create your registry by clicking (affiliate link, thanks for your support!) on the image below.

Reader Interactions

Comments

This post is exactly what the doctor ordered!!! Thank you for creating such a thorough list that I basically plan on hijacking (whatever items I don’t already have on there, anyways). <3 Haley @ http://www.beautyinthischaos.com

This list is significantly more accurate than the lists I usually see online! My daughter is 5 weeks old and we have used almost everything on here. My biggest must have was an actual camera. I didn’t want the only pictures of my baby to be on my phone and to be too fuzzy to have printed.

Okay, SO interesting to hear you say that about the infant car seat, because we’re opting to skip that! I’ve heard a lot of different back and forth, but my main thing is the practicality of buying multiple car seats, and then also having to buy multiple stroller adapters and bases to make the car seat work for everywhere you’re lugging it around. I also have SO many friends who say their baby grew out of the car seat so quickly that it felt like a huge waste of money. The whole “not having to wake a sleeping babe” definitely feels like the biggest draw, but honestly I don’t see myself going that many places, and have just heard so many great things about baby wearing vs lugging the car seat around and then setting it down vs cuddling. Of course, I know this is a ton of first time mom naivety, so it’s interesting to hear what you wish you would’ve done!

Yep, you sound like me the first time around! ;) That’s why we got just the convertible. It was fine, it worked, you get by, but gosh the ability to REMOVE the car seat is something I am SO looking forward to! haha. And infant car seats go up to a pretty high weight (this one is up to 35 lbs) which Sam isn’t even at yet, at 17 months! But you just never know just how big your baby will be. Also, babywearing is the shizzzz, so glad you’re planning on doing it! It’s seriously the best. Ever. xo

This is a great list! We got SO much use out of burp cloths and the aden & anais muslin swaddles. Wyatt basically lived in onesies and blankets the first month. Now at 2, he loves his sleep sheep (we always have put it on the ocean sound since he was a baby), he even says “turn sheep on” when I put him to bed.

Thanks so much for this list! So helpful for a first time Mom :) I just turned 30 and live at home with my husband and 2 cats, so I felt a bit of a connection with you, haha. I’ll definitely be sure to check out any other tips you have going on here!

Thanks girl! I get them from various places- all shops I found on Instagram! If you go to my Instagram, I tag where they’re from! Off the top of my head: @stichesandsoles, @bedtimerebel, @minimoc, @classicdot, @sweetnswag xo

Love this list! I am currently trying to make sure I have all the items I need on my registry on Amazon.. :)

But, I have a question! And maybe you don’t know the answer, that is totally okay. BUT, a bunch of the items on my registry don’t have the little sign that says “Completion Discount”. Do you have any idea why it is only certain items? It’s a bit frustrating. Any information or guidance would be oh so helpful!

I there! I have a question for you about your Bob Stroller and Maxi Cosi Car seat. What kind of adapter are using? I am looking at both for our newcomer and have found several Mixed responses on compatibility.

Thank you so much for making this list! It’s my first baby and the families first grandbaby so no one knows what the best items are or what all we need. I appreciate this comprehensive list that I can go and register for!! Thank you SO SO much!!!

Aw that means a lot to me!! I am SO glad you found this so helpful!! :) Congrats on your baby, Laura! Such an exciting and special time! You can always just send this post to your friends and family, too! ;) Make things really easy! xo